Why spiritual evolution is like the lunch room at work
by James Jaworsky
It seems, more often than not, I’m cleaning up. It’s not because someone asked me to do so or because it’s my job, it’s because I can’t see why it would be better to walk away and leave it that way. The disorder doesn’t make sense to me.
Arguably, some may say it’s my innate inclination toward tidiness, which, is probably rather true. But, there’s more to it than that. And plus, this isn’t about me. 😉
I can’t say every time, but most times, when I head to the lunch room to fill my thermos with water, there’s something that could be straightened out. Maybe a few coffee rings or some hot chocolate powder spilled on the counter; some splashed water or a dirty mug not placed into the sink. I see it, I am aware of it and I want to change it. It’s not that it isn’t right the way it is, (this isn’t about “right” or “wrong”) it’s just that it doesn’t have to be that way. It doesn’t feel like it wants to be that way. It feels like it goes against the current; like if the coffee area had a “flow” (which it does; everything does), the disarray would impede the flow.
Doing what I do doesn’t take a whole tonne of effort; usually just a wipe or two will do it. Sometimes there’ll be something that needs a bit of elbow grease to remove, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ve seen it before. Lots of times. Everyday, actually. Sometimes, multiple times a day.
But, I won’t lie; I get a little annoyed by it every so often. You have to wonder why someone else thought it made sense to walk away. And, by the frequency at which I find myself wiping up a spill or two, it probably reasons to estimate that more people than less feel okay with walking away and letting someone else deal with it. But, you know, it’s “everyone’s” lunch room, and that makes it “my” lunch room, too. If I waited for someone else to fix things, I’d probably be waiting an awfully long time. And, let’s face it (contrarian alert), “this” isn’t about anyone but me.
Now, I’m not saying, by no means, that I’m the only one doing the daily maintenance. That would be nearly implausible; I’d have to spend all day in there wiping up spilly talkers and giving people the stink eye. It just couldn’t happen. I know, with certainty, there are other people that help. I may not be able to say exactly who, but there are others that help; we all need help, right.
When it all boils down to it (puns are free here), I’m not really sure where it’ll get me; it’s tough to say. It, literally, feels like I do the same thing over and over again and it just looks the same each time. But, maybe it’s not? Sometimes I go in there, whether it’s early in the morning, or a calm moment in the afternoon and all is well. I can just get my water and go on my way. Easy. But, sometimes, it’s a challenge. It’s happened more than a handful of times where, if I’m getting hot water from the coffee machine, I have to empty out all the used coffee packets before the damn thing will give me the hot water. But, I’ll do it because that’s what needs to be done to get what I want. I’ll do it and I don’t even drink coffee.
It’s kinda the same, day in and day out. But, you never really know what, exactly, is going to be amiss that day. You just go in there, do what you need to do and feel better for it. For you. Just you.
And, I guess, to answer the obvious question, I don’t know how long I’m going to be cleaning up the same coffee area. And yes, it does get pretty monotonous and repetitive. But, I’m certain it won’t be the last lunch room I go into.
Be Love.
